How should a woman prepare before becoming a wife?

A woman needs to be prepared with knowledge of her rights and responsibilities, emotional stability, and an understanding of the married life built together.
Preparations include: understanding the fiqh of purification (menstruation, postnatal bleeding, the obligatory bath); knowing her rights — mahr, maintenance, housing and kind treatment — as well as responsibilities such as obedience in what is right; discussing career and money management; and preparing for pregnancy and raising children. Allah has given wives rights equal to their obligations, in kindness (al-Baqarah 2:228). Household skills are good to learn, but they are a shared responsibility. See Rights of husband & wife.